Chapter 468
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 468: Next Time, Who Am I
Inside Peach Blossom Villa.
A giant lotus flower, as tall as a person, was blooming. The lotus had six petals, each a different color, shimmering with six-colored light that was gentle and warm.
Brother Lu Yanbei, holding a sword, quietly watched from the side.
"This is the most precious treasure of the Western Province Blood Lotus Sect, hidden in the Kuafu Mountain Secret Realm."
"It is a lotus that grows at the heart of the giant on Kuafu Mountain."
Qiao Mu explained:
"The Blood Lotus Sect Leader can use this to create a dharma body, which can almost deceive the real one, appearing very similar to the true form—"
As Qiao Mu spoke, he suddenly remembered the Long Life Gate sect leader from the previous great battle.
The Long Life Gate sect leader also used a dharma body in battle, but he did not join the fight fiercely; his main role was to control an immortal puppet made from materials of the Tao Achieving Stage, which held Qiao Mu back.
Now, looking back… if the Long Life Gate sect leader had fought directly, the other Soul Changing Taoist Lords might have sensed the truth.
But the Blood Lotus Sect Leader is different.
A dharma body made from a Nine-colored Fairy Lotus leaf can truly deceive others; even if it dies or is destroyed in the end, it leaves no obvious flaws.
"This Six-leaf Immortal Lotus, although it is a rare treasure, cannot be eaten directly." Qiao Mu’s gaze fell on the Earth Sword Immortal:
"How a martial artist can use this celestial lotus is still unknown."
"But with celestial techniques, even a single lotus leaf can create a dharma body."
"I will leave this six-leaf celestial lotus here in this manor."
Lu Yanbei followed Qiao Mu’s gaze to the stone sword transformed by the Earth Sword Immortal and suddenly realized:
Qiao Mu meant to hand over this treasure of the Blood Lotus Sect to the Earth Sword Immortal.
He gently tapped the hilt of the Earth Sword Immortal’s sword, suggesting he should quickly say something, like a thank you.
So, the Earth Sword Immortal began to speak:
"May I ask if the dharma body created by the Blood Lotus Taoist Lord in the past is something worth discussing?"
Qiao Mu remained silent for two seconds.
He naturally had not looked under the Blood Lotus Sect Leader’s pants, but based on common sense,
"There should be."
So the stone sword began to tremble slightly.
It moved.
"Can a silver bottle really break and splash water, and can iron cavalry charge out with swords and spears?"
Qiao Mu: ….
The next moment.
The stone sword emitted a clear, crisp sound as it trembled.
Although it was made of stone, at that moment it seemed sharper than a golden or iron sword, as if its invisible sharpness had the power to pierce the sky.
Many curious eyes gazed in from all around the manor.
Such a dazzling brilliance was something most of them had never seen before.
"Without a physical body, there are many things I cannot do, and the martial arts I have practiced throughout my life cannot be used," the Earth Sword Immortal said with a sigh.
"I will restore my physical body and will not waste the treasure of the Blood Lotus Sect. Please rest assured, Senior Qiao Shuangtu!"
"It is our duty to revive the martial arts of Jiu Province!"
Nearby, Lu Yanbei covered his forehead with one hand, finding it hard to respond, and gently patted the hilt of the stone sword, reminding him to take it easy.
"What are you touching? Old man, stop fondling my sword hilt!" the Earth Sword Immortal exclaimed angrily.
"When I reshape my body, I will turn you into a sword so you can experience the feeling of having your hilt played with by others."
Lu Yanbei’s face stiffened, and he could only smile wryly.
He is the twin brother of the Earth Sword Immortal, and they are the same age.
But their personalities are very different, and the difference grows larger as they get older.
"What’s wrong with that? Isn’t it full of energy?" Qiao Mu said casually.
Full of energy.
Referring to the Earth Sword Immortal who always lives in the age of young and strong.
After Qiao Mu spoke, he also turned and walked step by step towards the edge of the forest.
"Where is Senior Qiao Shuangtu going?" Lu Yanbei asked immediately.
Qiao Mu did not answer directly, he just looked up at the sky and suddenly said:
"When you have a big meal, which dish do you start with on the table?"
"Huh?" Lu Yanbei was a bit lost in thought.
Qiao Mu gently shook his head and continued:
"Do you prefer to try new dishes you haven’t seen before, or do you like the familiar old favorites?"
"Do you like to eat the most delicious dish first, or do you prefer to save the best food for last?"
Lu Yanbei understood then.
"Is this the mindset of an unbeatable person?" Lu Yanbei felt a bit complicated.
"Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates, regarded by mortals as a sacred place, are worshiped by ordinary people. And Qiao Shuangtu sees himself as a diner, with the Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates as the dishes."
Lu Yanbei couldn’t help but turn his head to look at the nearby Earth Sword Immortal.
More than forty years ago, the Earth Sword Immortal was still a person and was the champion of martial arts in Jiu Province.
Nowadays, Qiao Mu is the leader of martial arts in this generation.
But the difference between the two is much greater than the difference between a person and a sword.
In the human realm of Jiu Province, there once stood Nine Immortal Gates, each holding a part of the land and sharing the power.
The soaring snake riding the mist eventually turns to dust. Now, three of the great Immortal Gates have perished, leaving six remaining.
The Soul Predicting Path is hidden from the world and hard to find; the Great Dao Sect is leaderless. Although it has a powerful array for protection, it is now hard for Qiao Mu to take notice.
Qiao Mu’s answer, of course, is to take a turn with each, ensuring everyone gets their share.
The dishes on this table are ultimately meant to be completely finished.
But deciding which one to eat first and which one to eat later is a question.
The remaining four Immortal Gates are Long Life Gate, Qingxuan Road, Tongtian Sword Sect, and Liangyi Sect.
Qiao Mu’s lips curved into a smile, and he said slowly:
"I love surprises, so I often try new dishes I haven’t eaten before."
Qiao Mu felt quite disappointed with the Great Dao Sect.
Nowadays, he thought that in the unfamiliar Immortal Gate, there might be even bigger surprises or disappointments.
After leaving these words, he turned and walked away.
In Peach Blossom Villa, having Qiao Xin is enough.
……………………
In the quiet room of the villa.
Qiao Mu stood facing Qiao Xin, and then one finger pierced his own temple.
In the blink of an eye, another new Qiao Mu appeared in the quiet room and helped lift the recently fallen body, injecting flesh into the empty space.
A hundred years passed in an instant.
During these hundred years of training, Qiao Mu focused on two types of martial arts.
One is the Ex-human Transformation.
When combined with the Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps, it can further enhance Qiao Mu’s speed, allowing him to move swiftly across Jiu Province.
Now, he has as many as eight flesh clones spread out in different places.
The higher his mastery of Ex-human Transformation, the faster the other flesh clones can move.
The second is Buddha’s Palm.
This is the number one palm technique in ancient martial arts. After infusing it with a vast amount of True strength, it quietly underwent a transformation, becoming a skill that could take on a thousand foes and sweep through entire armies.
Even the creator of this extraordinary martial art might not have expected that Buddha’s Palm could be so powerful in the hands of later generations.
The outside world is just a few breaths away.
Qiao Mu’s Ex-human Transformation and Buddha’s Palm have been refined from a minor skill to a major mastery.
"If you want to continue improving, maybe next time you can start with Wu Aotian’s ‘Aotian Divine Fist.’"
Wu Aotian’s Aotian Divine Fist, like Founding Emperor Yan’s ‘Po Yue Long Yin Gong’ and ‘Tian Ming Shen Gang,’ is a new method that combines True strength, also known as the martial arts of the new era.
Internal strength and True strength are not just different in power and range.
These two have understood the essence of True strength, and their thoughts on martial arts can serve as a reference for Qiao Mu.
"Congratulations to Master Qiao Xin for greatly advancing in martial arts, doubling his power from over five thousand years to now having eleven thousand years of strength!"
Qiao Mu expressionlessly performed a solo act.
The newly born, fresh corpse of ten thousand years slightly changed its appearance and became like Qiao Xin.
The original Qiao Xin then began to change, transforming into another face.
After doing all this, he pushed open the door and walked outside.
With his light and agile movements, leaving Peach Blossom Villa was naturally silent, and he would not disturb anyone.
However, when he walked outside the manor, he heard a clear singing voice, like a lark singing high up in a tree.
The voice was female, its tone was gentle but not light, carrying a sense of tragic grandeur.
"Jingwei sings, and heaven and earth are moved!
The mountains are green, and people are like fish and insects!
Why is the sea not calm? The waves are fierce!
"May future generations not enter the sea!"
Qiao Mu paused for a moment.
He followed the sound and soon saw a little Jingwei Bird on the treetop, quietly watching him, having stopped singing.
"Have you heard the story of Jingwei filling the sea?" asked the Jingwei Bird.
"I have heard that the Jingwei Divine Bird’s clan has an unbreakable will and exists forever, in a way, they are immortal."
Qiao Mu said.
He was not surprised by Qing Li’s awakening of her past wisdom as a Jingwei Bird.
Sometimes he even wondered if she had awakened long ago and was just pretending to be confused.
When Qing Li first died and was reborn as a bird, she was still a bit silly like a fat cat.
Later, it became clear that spirituality and humanity were growing stronger… It is uncertain whether this began with the death of Lord Yunxiao or at some other time.
When the Earth Sword Immortal talked about superb skills, she listened quietly, and when the martial artists from Peach Blossom Villa trained, she watched them closely, which was very different from the lazy cat that only cared about eating.
It was the first time she heard the bird speak human words.
"Yes." Qing Li was polite, just like when she was still human, but there was a subtle sense of distance.
After all.
There may be many members of the Qiao family, constantly appearing, with new ones coming even after the old ones have passed away.
But Qiao Pian, who she knew well, had already died in a flood outside Linhe City in Southwest Province.
Later Qiao family members, no matter how skilled or famous, were still just elders from the family of her former comrades.
It was not the same thing after all.
She continued, "The Jingwei Divine Bird has ancient bloodline memories that are passed down to this day, and I have realized my extraordinary nature."
"The Jingwei Bird with an immortal body was already a famous divine bird in ancient times."
The Jingwei Bird Qing Li said:
"So I am the best warrior. Even if I die in battle, I will continue to be reborn. My determination never fades and will last forever."
"Not only that, the Jingwei Bird is a divine bird born from determination. After facing death repeatedly, that determination becomes more pure and, naturally, more powerful."
"Senior Qiao Shuangtu, are you leaving this time to conquer the Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates? If so, I humbly request to accompany you."
"If I can experience a hundred battles, I can advance even further," Qing Li the Jingwei Bird said.
Qiao Mu squinted his eyes.
He knew that the song of the Jingwei he heard earlier was Qing Li expressing her resolve.
Why is the sea not calm? The waves are roaring; I hope future generations do not enter the sea…
Those who lose their lives in the waves hold on to the hope that others will not make the same mistake, which is why they dream of calming the ocean.
Kuafu Chases the Sun tells the story of the Kuafu tribe chasing the sun in their hearts.
Jingwei fills the sea, but it is not only for revenge against the ocean for drowning.
After experiencing the ancient memories of Giant Kuafu, Qiao Mu began to understand these mythic beings a little better.
"If your goal is truly not revenge, but to save your people… then it is more useful for you to stay."
Leaving behind these words, Qiao Mu turned to go.
His movements were decisive and swift.
As soon as he turned, he vanished from sight, leaving only the fierce wind behind.
At first, Qing Li wanted to chase the Jingwei Bird.
But looking at the white streak cutting across the sky, she let out a sigh.
If Qiao Mu really wanted to run away, she knew she could not catch up.
"Did you see through my true self?"
Qing Li felt a stir in her heart.
She had not lied just now; she had only told part of the truth and kept part hidden.
What she awoke to was not just the memories of her past life as a mixed-blood human but also the ancient bloodline memories of the Jingwei Divine Bird.
"In this world, there has never been true resurrection. Even the immortals and gods of ancient times, who could catch stars and moons, cannot escape this truth."
"The Jingwei’s rebirth is said to be an unending obsession, lasting for eternity… but there are also great dangers behind this."
The Jingwei Bird is a magical bird born from obsession.
Continuous death and the refinement of obsession indeed create a path to becoming stronger.
The physical body can be reshaped, the spirit can be restored, but the true essence in the shadows will gradually be worn away with each death, and each time one dies, they become more different.
The more it dies, the closer the Jingwei Bird gets to its obsession.
The more it dies, the further it drifts from its original self.
In the end, the Jingwei Bird will become an entity that only holds onto its obsession.
When Qing Li died for the first time, she transformed from a half-blood human into a pure-blood Jingwei Bird, which was a change in essence, as her physical body lost the human part.
Qing Li is not afraid of death.
Yet even so, after transforming into a pure-blood Jingwei Bird, she often dreams at midnight, feeling a chilling cold.
Is the "Demon Spear Qin Li," who is a mixed-blood person from the Power List, the same being as the pure-blood Jingwei Divine Bird Qing Li, who should not exist in this world?
If not…
Then who will she be after her next death and resurrection?
……………………………………
The Peach Blossom Villa in Nan Province is where Wang Songhe hid when he was a bandit.
This villa is actually very close to Yan City.
For Qiao Mu, who has completed the Ex-human Transformation and perfected the Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps, it is just a short walk away.
At that time, Yan City had just gone through a famine, and half of the houses in the outer city were empty.
When Wang Songhe was the city lord, there were some changes in the city, and after the Peach Blossom Villa appeared, the place had a new atmosphere.
The streets were buzzing with people coming and going. Qiao Mu took a quick look and found that almost half of them were martial artists with skills.
The number of skilled martial artists was as overwhelming as college students in another life…
"Yan City is the closest city to the mountain lodge, so it has gathered many martial artists coming here for fame…" Qiao Mu thought to himself and walked into a tavern near the city gate.
